Will they, won't they?
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
9 Nov, 2006 0143hrs IST
HUBLI: The Hubli-Dharwad traffic police seem to be tripping on their toes as regards the experiment to ban movement of manganese and iron-ore laden trucks on city roads during daytime. In the last three years, the police
have mooted the ban time and again but failed to put it into practice, thanks to the tactful lobbying of truckers' union.
The latest experiment to impose a ban on movement of heavy trucks between 7 am and 11 pm, which had come in for appreciation, now looks to be meeting the same fate if one goes by the developments at the meeting between Karnataka state lorry owners' association and police on Monday.
Citing the developments at the meeting, association presidents said police commissioner Narayan Nadamani have given a formal assurance to relax the ban except during school hours. The assurance came after the association office-bearers told him that they were ready to withdraw their stir against the ban from November 10.
While top police officials are worried that all efforts made to restrict the entry of heavy trucks during daytime will go in vain if the ban is relaxed, residents are apprehensive that the traffic scenario in Hubli-Dharwad may return to the square one.
They have reason too. When a similar ban on trucks was imposed during the tenure of previous police commissioners, the truckers had managed to bring pressure on them and get the ban relaxed. In fact, the residents here had
wholeheartedly welcomed the move when the ban was imposed as it reduced the traffic load by nearly 30 per cent on city roads.
It was not only the residents, but even policemen in lower ranks, who were weary of regulating traffic, had heaved a sigh of relief. Interestingly, the state truckers' association had once again offered to chip in Rs 1 crore to develop an alternate road between Gadag Road and PB Road.
About six months ago, the association had also promised to contribute to road works after the HDMC passed a resolution seeking a ban on movement of trucks in the city.
Moved by the association's magnanimity, the HDMC had incorporated a plan to develop the alternative road under build-own operate-transfer(BOOT) basis at a cost of Rs 4 crore. But they backtracked at the eleventh hour citing some reasons.
Meanwhile, various organisations in Hubli-Dharwad have threatened to launch an agitation if the police relax the ban. "We are aware that the truckers are trying various means to get the police to relax the ban. We would not tolerate any move by the police to withdraw or relax the ban", said Laxman Korapatti of City Ambedkar Association.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
9 Nov, 2006 0143hrs IST
HUBLI: The Hubli-Dharwad traffic police seem to be tripping on their toes as regards the experiment to ban movement of manganese and iron-ore laden trucks on city roads during daytime. In the last three years, the police
have mooted the ban time and again but failed to put it into practice, thanks to the tactful lobbying of truckers' union.
The latest experiment to impose a ban on movement of heavy trucks between 7 am and 11 pm, which had come in for appreciation, now looks to be meeting the same fate if one goes by the developments at the meeting between Karnataka state lorry owners' association and police on Monday.
Citing the developments at the meeting, association presidents said police commissioner Narayan Nadamani have given a formal assurance to relax the ban except during school hours. The assurance came after the association office-bearers told him that they were ready to withdraw their stir against the ban from November 10.
While top police officials are worried that all efforts made to restrict the entry of heavy trucks during daytime will go in vain if the ban is relaxed, residents are apprehensive that the traffic scenario in Hubli-Dharwad may return to the square one.
They have reason too. When a similar ban on trucks was imposed during the tenure of previous police commissioners, the truckers had managed to bring pressure on them and get the ban relaxed. In fact, the residents here had
wholeheartedly welcomed the move when the ban was imposed as it reduced the traffic load by nearly 30 per cent on city roads.
It was not only the residents, but even policemen in lower ranks, who were weary of regulating traffic, had heaved a sigh of relief. Interestingly, the state truckers' association had once again offered to chip in Rs 1 crore to develop an alternate road between Gadag Road and PB Road.
About six months ago, the association had also promised to contribute to road works after the HDMC passed a resolution seeking a ban on movement of trucks in the city.
Moved by the association's magnanimity, the HDMC had incorporated a plan to develop the alternative road under build-own operate-transfer(BOOT) basis at a cost of Rs 4 crore. But they backtracked at the eleventh hour citing some reasons.
Meanwhile, various organisations in Hubli-Dharwad have threatened to launch an agitation if the police relax the ban. "We are aware that the truckers are trying various means to get the police to relax the ban. We would not tolerate any move by the police to withdraw or relax the ban", said Laxman Korapatti of City Ambedkar Association.
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